Lawsuit: University Ignored Rape, Assault Allegations Against Professor

A lawsuit filed against a former University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) professor accused of raping and assaulting multiple students claims the school failed to adequately respond to his alleged misconduct, ProPublica reports. Two former students at UIUC and another professor from a separate school claimed in their Tuesday filing that Gary Gang Xu sexually assaulted and bullied multiple students—specifically targeting female Chinese students who depended on the school for their visa status.

Xu, a tenured professor in the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures, reportedly resigned two years after a UIUC probe concluded he had an inappropriate relationship with a student and violated a “no-contact directive” involving the same student. After the misconduct finding, the school placed him on paid leave, and he was reportedly given a $10,000 separation payment as part of his resignation agreement.

Ann Olivarius, an attorney for the plaintiffs, told ProPublica the school turned a “blind eye” to Xu’s misconduct. A university spokesperson said in a statement that they were “aware of the filing” and were “reviewing and revising disciplinary processes” regarding misconduct.